This invention relates to a photovoltaic device and more particularly to a photovoltaic device having solar radiation concentration in the range of 500 to 1600 suns.
Photovoltaic solar concentrations have been used to increase the amount of solar radiation incident onto a solar cell. Typically, the increase in solar radiation is a result of the magnification power of a lens through which solar radiation traverses to be focused onto a solar cell. As the magnification of the lens is increased the amount of thermal energy incident onto the solar cell is also increased. However, the efficiency of a solar cell will decrease as the temperature of the solar cell is increased. In the past a photovoltaic solar concentrator device could not operate at about more than 280 suns before the efficiency of the solar cell is dramatically reduced, i.e. less than 4% efficiency. It would be most desirable in the field of photovoltaic devices to have a photovoltaic solar concentrator device that could efficiently operate at high solar concentrations, i.e. 500 to 1600 suns, and yet not reduce solar cell efficiency because of high solar cell operating temperatures.